Electric-lamp-lighting device



G. WHEAT.

ELECTRIC LAMP LIGHTING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 3.1916.

1 ,32 1 ,960, Patented Nov. 18, 1919.

3 SHEETSSHEET 2.

Glam? Meal.

G. WHEAT.

ELECTRIC LAMP LIGHTING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 3.1916.

'1 321,960. Patented Nov. 18, 1919.

3 SHEETSSHEET 3.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE GRANT WHEAT, OF COREY, PENNSYLVANIA.

ELECTRIC-LAMP-LIGHTING DEVICE.

Application filed June 3, 1916.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GRANT WHEAT, a citizen of the United States,residing at Corry, in the county of Erie and State of Pennsylvania, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Lamp LightingDevices, of which the following is a specifiation.

My invention consists of an improved form of electric lamp lightingdevice in cluding a storage battery, and is particularly serviceable foruse as a portable device for miners, since it is so constructed as tooperate in connection with a miners lamp which may be convenientlyplaced on the hat of the miner. However, it will be understood that myinvention may be used with advantage for other purposes.

One object of my invention is to provide a device of the above describedtype including a storage battery which may be easily secured to andcarried by a person and operative to supply electric current to anelectric lamp without in any way interfering with the movement of theperson carrying it.

Another object is to construct my invention in such manner that certainparts thereof may be operated by the movement of a key so that thebattery may be quickly and easily recharged without its removal from thecase or without removal of any of the other parts of my invention.

Another object of my invention is to so design the several parts thatwhen they are assembled, they cannot be removed or actuated by any oneother than the person or persons who are authorized to do so.

A still further object is to so make the several parts of my inventionthat they may be quickly and easily assembled or taken apart forpurposes of repair or renewal.

A further object is to make certain of the elements of my invention,which extend into the battery, in such manner as to provide a positiwsealing means, said sealing means being such as to be quickly releasedand inserted.

Another object is to have my invention of a durable and simpleconstruction, so that it can be manufactured at a small cost.

These objects, and other advantageous ends which will be describedhereinafter, I

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 18, 1919.

Serial No. 101,437.

attain in the following manner, reference bein had to the accompanyingdrawings in w ich- Figure 1 is a front sectional elevation of myinvention.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of Fig. l with the top lid removed.

Fig. 3 is an end elevation taken on the line ww of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a plan view of my invention showing the top lid in its properplace.

Figs. 5 and 6 are diagrammatic views showing the electric wire.connection which I preferably use, a movable switch being shown indifferent positions.

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of my invention as it appears when readyfor use.

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of one of the securing elements of myinvention.

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of a key which is used in operating andunlocking certain of the features of my invention.

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary section taken on the line Z)b of Fig. 7 anddrawn on an enlarged scale.

Fig. 11 is an enlarged sectional view showing my improved sealing meansfor the storage battery, and

Fig. 12 is a detached perspective view of certain of the elements shownin Fig. 11.

Referring to the drawings, 1 is a case which is preferably made of hardrubber and includes a body portion 2 and a top section or cover 3. Thebody portion 2 contains the storage battery elements which in the present instance are arranged to form two cells 5 and 6 which are separatedby a partition 7 forming two separate compartments 8 and 9.

These compartments are lined as shown at 10 by a material which is notacted upon by acid which is used in connection with storage battery, andthe upper ends of the compartments are closed by a seal 11 whichconsists of two plates 12 and 13 which are beveled in oppositedirections at their outer edges, and a gasket of soft rubber or otherplastic or resilient material is interposed between these two plates sothat the said beveled edges act when the plates are moved together in amanner hereinafter described to compress the gaskets and in so doingforce its marginal portions 14, Fig. 11, into firm engagement with theinner surface of the lining 10.

Each of the plates 12 and 13 is provided with holes through which thethreaded ends 15 of the posts, which constitute the poles of thebattery, extend. These threaded ends 15 are provided with nuts 16 attheir lower portions which engage the lower surface of the plates 13 andwith corrugated nuts 17 on their upper ends which engage the uppersurfaces of the plates 12, so that a relative movement of these nuts onsaid threaded ends causes the plates to be moved toward or from eachother as above described.

As illustrated in the drawing, the adj acent posts 18 and 19 are coupledby a wire 20, which extends bodily through the threaded ends and isembedded in metallic connection with said threaded ends.

The posts 21 and 22 also have wires 23 and 24 respectively which areembedded therein, and the other ends of these wires are connectedashereinafter set forth. The posts 18, 19, 21, and 22, have secured attheir lower ends, plates 25 which are designed to extend within the acid(not shown) for the purpose of setting up an electric current in thewires 23 and 24 in the usual manner.

The upper end of the body portion 2 is provided with laterally extendingbeads 26, Fig. 3, which are designed to fit within grooves 27 on thebottom of thetop section 3, the latter being recessed at 28 to provide achamber for the wire 20, and the upper ends of the posts 18, 19, 21, and22.

The bottom of the top section 3 is also provided with a groove 29 whichis adjacent one of the grooves 27, and this groove 29 is designed forthe reception of a beaded edge 30 on a side cover plate 31, so that whenthe bead 30 is inserted within the groove 29 as shown in Fig. 3, the topsection will be locked to the body portion 2. As a means for locking theside cover plate 31, I recess the latter as shown at 32, and provide theouter surface 33 of the body portion 2 with a projection 34 (see Fig.10), and insert a screw 35 in such a manner as to have its threaded endfit within a threaded opening 36 in the projection 34. The outer end ofthe screw is provided with a head or nut 37 which corres onds in shapeto the contour of the opening 38 in the end of the key 39 (see Fig. 9).

The lower end of the side cover plate 31 is recessed at 40 to providesufficient room for the insertion of the shank 41 of the key, and thescrew, when in its normal position, locks the plate 31 to the bodyportion 2, and has its head 37 entirely within the recess 41) so that itis impossible to actuate this screw unless provided with a key made asabove described.

The top section 3 is provided with an outwardly flaring opening 42 whichis preferably circular in cross section and tapers.

from a wide mouth 43 at the outer surface to a smaller diameter as shownat 44,,said smaller diameter being of sufficiently large cross sectionas to admit an electric conduit 45 forming a closure for two electricwires 46 and 47.

The conduit 45 may be made of any material which will permit it to beturned abruptly around a comparatively narrow edge 48 formed by theintersection of said opening 42 with the upper surface 49 of the section3. The section 3 has an opening 50 which communicates with the opening42, and is provided with internal screw-threads 51 for the reception ofa screw plug 52, the latter having a recess or dished inner surface 53designed to engage the conduit 45 and press it tightly into contact withthe edge 48, so as to effectually bind said conduit to the section 3 andprevent it from being accidentally pulled out. This means of binding isa very important feature in connection with my present invention, sinceit is impossible to pull the said conduit out when confined between thesaid edge 48 and recessed surface 53 of the plug 52.

The upper portion of the section 3 is provided with grooves 54 whichprovide a ledge for the top lid 55, and these grooves 54 intersect witha transverse groove 56 which is undercut as shown in Fig. 1. The lid 55has a beveled end which fits into said undercut groove 56, and theopposite end of the lid 55 has a depending portion which rests upon adepressed surface 57, the latter being provided with a projection 58directly above the screw plug 52, and a screw 59 ex tends through thelid and projection 58 and into the screw plug 52 thereby, effectivelysecuring the lid and the screw plug to the said top section 3.

The surface 49 is formed below the uppermost edges of the section 3 andprovides, between it and the bottom of the lid 55, a chamber 60, thesurface 49 forming the floor of this chamber.

A bearing block 61 is mounted within the chamber 60, and is secured tothe floor 49. This block 61 forms a journal bearing for a shaft 62, theouter end of which extends within an opening 63 leading to the outersurface of the top section 3. This opening 63 is of such diameter as topermit the insertion of the shank 41 of the key 39 and the outer end ofsaid shaft 62 is provided with a head similar to the head 37 of thescrew 35, so as to be capable of being turned by the key 39.

The shaft 62 has secured to it a disk 64 of insulating material, and ametallic plate 65 projects from the shaft 62 and has its, outer surfaceflush with the periphery of the disk 64.

Adjacent the disk 64 are .two resilient contacting brushes 66 and 67which are secured to the floor 49, and the plate 65 may be moved by theturning of the shaft 62 with the key 39 into electrical contact witheither of the brushes 66 or 67.

The lid 55 is provided with two metallic buttons or terminals 68 and 69having screwthreaded stems which extend through the lid 55 into thechamber 60, and the threaded ends of these terminals are each providedwith nuts 68 and 69 respectively. A Wire 70 has one of its ends securedin electrical connection with the button 68 by the nut 68. The other endof the wire 70 is attached to the brush 66 by means of a screw 71, sothat the brush 66 and the button 68 are always in electrical connection.

The wire 46 is connected to the button 69 by the nut 69 as is also thefree end of the Wire 24, and this connection is permanent for thepurpose of my invention.

For purposes of clearly illustrating these wires, they have been shownin straight lines in the drawings, but it will be noted that in actualpractice these wires are given a certain amount of twist, so thatsufficient length is provided between the elements to permit the lid 55to be removed without breaking either the wires 24, 46, or 70.

The wire 47 is connected by means of a screw 72 to the brush 67, theother ends of the wires 46 and 47 being connected to an electric lamp 73illustrated diagrammatically in Figs. 5 and 6, while the wire 23 has itsopposite end in electrical connection with the shaft 62.

The shaft 62 is provided with a spiral spring 74 and this spring isconfined between a plate 75, which is secured to the floor 49, and acollar 76 secured to the shaft, so as to provide a resilient backing forsaid shaft, however, it will be understood that the precise nature ofthis mechanism just described, which constitutes a switch, may

be changed without departing from the spirit of my invention, it beingnecessary to provide a member movable alternately in electricalconnection between the brushes 66 and 67 or other equivalent, saidmember being in electrical connection with the wire 23.

As a means for forming a vent for the interior of the body portion 2, Iprovide a plug which may be of any of the well known types, but in thepresent instance I have shown a hollow plug 77 having a globular endprovided with a series of radially extending perforations 78 and arelatively narrow passage leading from said globular end and increasingin width and intersecting the inner wall of the outer flange 79, theouter flange being provided with a small opening which connects withsaid tapering passage,

in projects within the recess 32 provided by the inner surface of theside cover plate 31, so that with this construction while a suflicientvent is provided for the interior of the body portion 2, it isimpossible for the acid to come out during the use of the device due tothe fact that the vent opens into the center of the acid-receiving spaceand is norciinally positioned above the level of the am I preferablymake the nuts 16 integral with the posts 18, 19, 21, and 22, as shown inFig. 11, and with this construction the nuts 17 may be turned by hand inorder to compress the gasket 14 for the purposes above described.

*Furthermore, the plates 13 are recessed at 80, said recess conformingto the shape of the nuts 16 so as to prevent the latter from beingturned when the nuts 17 are turned. With this construction, the wires 23and 24 as well as the wire 20 will not be injured as would be the caseif said posts were moved together with the nuts 17. In other words, thisconstruction permits the posts and their co'acting parts to remainsubstantially stationary, as do the wires which are positively securedthereto, during the compression or moving together of the plates 12 and13 to form the seal for the upper end of the compartments 8 and 9.

The body portion 2 is provided with two wedge-shaped projections 81which are oppositely disposed, the upper surfaces 82 of theseprojections being positioned below the top section 3 so as to provideroom for one run of a wire bracket 83 (see Figs. 7 and 8). The bracket83 has looped ends 84, the space between the ends being of substantiallythe same shape as the converging surfaces formin the wedges 81, so thatthe said ends 84 wil snugly fit the projections 81, and the longitudinalruns of the bracket will extend across the front of the side cover plate31. These ends 84 are of sufficient length that when they are fittedover the projections 81, there is a portion which provides a loop forthe insertion of a strap 85 of leather or other flexible material whichis of such length as to fit around the waist of the miner or otherperson, and provided with buckles or other securing means (not shown)which may be for attaching the free ends of the belt, thereby clampingthe casing to the back of the wearer.

In this position, the conduit 45 containing the wires 46 and 47 willextend upwardly along the back of the wearer and may be attached to hishat and the lamp connected to his hat in any desired manner.

The buttons 68 and 69 are provided in order that the battery may bere-charged, it merely being necessary to turn the shaft 62 by the key 39until the plate 65 is moved .in electrical contact with the brush 66 asshown in Fig. 6 of thedrawing. \Vhen in this position, one pole of thebattery ""11 be in connection with the ,un' cn 68 through the 11100 11)!of the wire 23, shaft 62, plate 65, brush 66, and wire 70, while t eother pole of the battery will be in connectlon with the button 69through the medium of the wire 24.

In other T 1 the buttons 68 and 69 will be placed in electricalconnection with the battery 4 when the plate 65 is moved into theposition shown in Fig. 6, and when in this position, the feed wires of agenerator or other charging device may, by resting upon the buttons 68and 69, cause the battery 4 to be recharged.

After the battery has been charged, the shaft 62 may be turned until theplate 65 contacts with the brush 67. This action throws the battery 4 indirect connection with the lamp 73 in the following manner:(lurrentpasses through the wire 23, shaft 62, plate 65, brush 67, and wire 47 tothe lamp, and from the lamp the circuit 1s through the wire 46, plug 69,wire 24 to the battery.

Thus, it will be understood that by a simple movement of the shaft 62,the lamp 723 may be lit or the buttons 68- and 69 thrown into circuitwith the battery 4, so that the latter may be quickly and easilyrecharged. When it is desired to cut out the lamp and the buttons 68 and69, the shaft 62 may be turned to the position shown in Fig. 1, wherethe said plate 65 is in a neutral position and out of contact witheither the brushes 66 or 67.

It will be further noted that there are no exposed metallic wires, andthat all the elements operate in a positive manner to produce thedesired result. The buttons 68 and 69 are so positioned as to beconveniently engaged by the feed. wires for recharging, and the conduit45 is so constructed that it enters the opening 42 at the widest endthereof so as to be free to flex with the movements of the wearer of thedevice.

While I have described my invention as taking a particular form, it willbe understood that the various parts of my invention may be changedwithout departing from the spirit thereof, and hence I do notlimit-myself to the precise construction set forth, but consider that Iam at liberty to make such changes and alterations as fairly come withinthe scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

1. A storage battery, having, in combination, a casing provided with anopen end, battery elements locatedin said casing, and

a seal for said open end comprising a yielding gasket positioned in saidend and provided with inwardly beveled margins, plates between whichsaid gasket is located having beveled margins to cooperate with thebeveled portions of said gasket, and screw threaded means for forcingsaid plates toward each other to cause the beveled portions of theplates to expend said gasket into firm engagement with the walls of saidopening.

2. A storage battery, having, in combination, a casing provided with anopen end, battery elements located in said casing, a yielding gasket insaid opening, plates between which said gasket is located, said platesbeing constructed to expand said gasket into firm engagement with thewalls of said opening when they are forced toward each other, screwthreaded means for forcing said plates together, and electric conductorsfor said battery elements extending through said screw threaded means.

3. A storage battery, having, in combination, a casing, battery elementsmounted in said casing, a part of said casing being provided with anoutwardly flaring opening, an electric conductor connected with saidbattery and extending through said opening longitudinally thereof andabruptly bent near the inner end of said opening, and means for clampingsaid conductor in said bent position to prevent it from being withdrawnfrom said opening.

4. A storage battery, having, in combination, a casing, battery elementsmounted in said casing, a part of said casing being provided with aflaring opening having a relatively small inner end, an electric conduitextending through said opening longitudinally thereof and substantiallyfilling said end, and means at the inner end of the opening for holdingsaid conductor in a position forming a relatively sharp angle with theadjacent part of the conductor lying in the opening to prevent thewithdrawal of the conductor from the opening.

5. A storage battery, having, in combination, a casing, comprising abody and a top therefor, battery elements located in said body, said topbeing provided with a relatively long flaring openin and a secondopening leading laterally into the smaller end of said fiarlng opening,an electric eonductor extending through both of said openings, and aplug threaded into the casing and clampin said conductor against theportion of t e casing at substanially the Junction of said openings.

6. A storage battery, having, in combination, a casing, battery elementslocated in said casing, conductors arranged in the easing to receivecurrent from said battery ele- 7. A storage battery, having, incombination, a casing, battery elements located in said casing,conductors arranged in the casing to receive current from said batteryelements, charging terminals for said battery located on said casing,and a switch in said casing controlling the electrical connection ofsaid battery with said conductors and said terminals.

8. A storage battery, having, in combination, a casing comprising a bodyand a top, means for removably securing said body and top together,battery elements located in said body, conductors leading into said topand arranged to receive current from said battery elements, chargingterminals located on said top, and a switch mounted in said'top andoperable from a point outside of the casing controlling the electrical.connection of sa1d battery elements both with said terminals and alsowith said conductors. v

9. A storage battery, having, in combination, a casing, battery elementslocated in said casing, conductors arranged in the easing to receivecurrent from said battery elements, charging terminals for said batterylocated on said casing, a switch in said casing controlling theelectrical connection of said battery with said conductors and saidterminals, and a key actuated operating member for said switch mountedin said casing. V

10. The combination with a storage battery having a casing, of a bracketembracing said casing and provided with strap-receiving members, acarrying strap engaging said members, and means for retaining saidbracket in its operative position on said casing.

11. The combination with a storage battery having a casing, of a wirebracket embracing said casing and provided with strap receiving members,a carrying strap engaging said members, and lugs on said casing forretaining said bracket in its operative position on the casing.

12. A storagebattery, having, in combination, a casing body, batteryelements mounted in said body, a casing top for said body, and a sideplate for holding said top and body together.

13. A storage battery, having, in combination, a casing body, batteryelements mounted in said body, a casing top for said body, a side platehaving a locking engagement with one of said casing members andremovably secured to the other'member whereby it is operative to securesaid body and toptogether.

14. A storage battery, having, in combination, acasing comprising a bodyand a top therefor, battery elements mounted in said casing, said bodybeing provided at its upper edge with a projecting bead, and said topbeing grooved to receive said head, a.

side platehaving a lip arranged to cooperate with said groove and beadto secure said top to said body, and means for securing said side plateto said body.

15. A storage battery, having, in combination, a casing body, batteryelements mounted in said body, a casing top for said body, a side platefor securing said top and body together, and a vent for said bodypositioned under said side plate.

16. A storage battery, having, in combination, a casing body, batteryelements mounted in said body, a casing top for said body, and means forsecuring said body and top together including key controlled meansembedded in said casing.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence Witnesses:

T. N. Hooen, Enw. JAMoEK.

